Books Blog : Bill Bryson, A J Jacobshttp://evpl.org/community/blogs/books/archive/tags/Bill+Bryson/A+J+Jacobs/default.aspxTags: Bill Bryson, A J JacobsenCommunityServer 2008 SP1 (Build: 30619.63)Read By the Authorhttp://evpl.org/community/blogs/books/archive/2012/09/24/read-by-the-author.aspxMon, 24 Sep 2012 21:30:00 GMT9a7b961d-7882-4302-b701-732ca0e566f2:2408Shh_ImReading@evpl1http://evpl.org/community/blogs/books/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=2408http://evpl.org/community/blogs/books/archive/2012/09/24/read-by-the-author.aspx#comments<p>I love to listen to memoirs read by the authors that wrote them. Not so long ago, I was quite skeptical of all audiobooks. I viewed listening to a book as cheating, unless it was a matter of poor eyesight. I have, however, warmed somewhat to audiobooks, and memoirs read by their authors have become a favorite of mine.&nbsp;When it comes to memoirs, what&nbsp;could possibly be better than someone&#39;s story in&nbsp;his or her&nbsp;own voice? </p>
<p><img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=1598870106" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=1594839298" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=0739315234" alt="" /></p>
<p>Here are some of my favorite memoirs read by their authors that I&#39;ve had the pleasure to&nbsp;listen to so far: </p>
<ul>
<li>Haven Kimmel&#39;s memoirs about growing up in Mooreland, Indiana, <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1713494">A Girl Named Zippy</a></em> and <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1713522">She Got Up Off the Couch</a></em>. These two are good enough I recommend listening to them, even if you&#39;ve already read them.</li>
<li>Kate Braestrup&#39;s <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1785549">Here if You Need Me</a></em>, about being chaplain for the Maine Warden Service and her part in their search-and-rescue missions, plus her second memoir, <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1925072">Marriage and Other Acts of Charity</a></em>.</li>
<li>Advice columnist Amy Dickinson&#39;s <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1897192">The Mighty Queens of Freeville</a></em>, about the strong women in her family, including her mother, sisters and daughter.</li>
<li>Tina Fey&#39;s wildly popular <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1972026">Bossypants</a></em>.</li>
<li>Anna Quindlen&#39;s recent memoir, <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b2050805">Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake</a></em>. I don&#39;t think I&#39;m the target audience for this one, but I enjoyed it very much anyway.</li>
<li>Craig Ferguson&#39;s <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1914117">American on Purpose</a></em>, the story of how he became a musician, then a comedian, the drugs he did and the hearts he broke along the way, and his decision to become an American citizen (he was born &amp; raised in Scotland), might be a bit heavy on foul language for some people, but it charmed me.</li>
<li>Bill Bryson&#39;s memoir of growing up in Iowa in the 1950&#39;s, <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1739952">The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid</a></em> is most amusing read in his slight British accent-- he lives in England now.</li>
<li>A. J. Jacobs&#39; <em><a target="_blank" href="http://evans.evpl.org/record=b1777938">The Year of Living Biblically</a></em> details the year he attempted to follow the Bible really, truly literally. Unfortunately, this is an abridged audiobook, meaning some parts of the original text are not included.</li>
</ul>
<p>Do you have a memoir read by the author to recommend to me?</p>
<p>&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=9781609419691" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=1598870114" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=9780061841934" alt="" /></p>
<p><img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=9781600247781" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=9781401392499" alt="" />&nbsp;<img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=9780307989864" alt="" /></p>
<p><img height="241" width="190" src="http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=III21&amp;Password=BT0005&amp;Return=1&amp;Type=L&amp;Value=0743569970" alt="" /></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://evpl.org/community/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2408" width="1" height="1">nonfictionaudiobooksbiographycelebritiesmemoirKate BraestrupMainegrowing upIndianaMarriageCraig FergusonBill BrysonTina Feyread by the authorautobiographyBibleIowaA J JacobsspiritualityHaven KimmelAmy DickinsonAnna Quindlen